Recruiting Tips and Tricks
Expert Recruiting Tips
If you are here, then you are one of those individuals who either want to to gain rank within the GRM community or you’re simply recruiting because you want to see the community grow. Either way, you’ve come to the right place! Within this little guide, you’ll learn some tips that will help you recruit people more easily as well as learn places you can go to get recruits.
Locations
There are varied places and methods where people can recruit from. Within this section, you will find the most popular spots (listed in order) in which to find these people.
The LFG (Looking for Group) Post
Most, if not all, of my recruits have come from LFG posts. True, it isn’t the fastest method; think of it more like setting a fishing lure and waiting for the fish to bite. Sometimes you may go for a few hours without a single person being interested. Don’t get discouraged! People will eventually take note and express interest. The upside of this method as well is that it allows for the recruiter to continue playing games while actively working to recruit. When making LFG posts, try to include the following ‘tags’ as they ensure a high interest rate:
#HeroesvsVillians
#GalacticAssault
#Recruitment
#femalegamerswelcome
#MicRequired
#TeensandAdults
You can set the party size to any number; I recommend no less than 5 and usually no more than 8-10. It is also possible to set the time on LFG posts, but I find it easier to refresh the post every 30 minutes or so to ensure it remains near the top of the LFG list. As a final note, you will find a section of the LFG post in which you can type a message. While this message can be anything, I recommend something to call people's’ interest to GRM and the community. As a sample, I will provide the message I use:
“Join GRM, voted #1 community on Xbox! Come play with people and enjoy teamwork! Rank up within GRM at your own pace! Most of all, have fun!”
Mass Messaging
Mass messaging is the secondary method I use to gain recruits. This method is more time consuming and requires more involvement from the recruiter. Using mass messaging, I use the Xbox application (found on Android and Iphones in their respective store apps) or the Xbox messaging system itself to send messages to players I am currently in a match with. It’s usually easier to have a mass message saved that you can copy and paste within the application, allowing for the best use of time. I would suggest something like the following:
“Hello there! I saw you did really well in the last match! Would you be interested in joining GRM, also known as Galactic Republic Military, a 14 year old gaming community with around 4,000 members? We’re very active and hold nightly events, as well as offering a friendly place to be and have more people to game with! If you’re interested, let me know and if not, have a nice day!”
Clubs
This method is similar to the LFG method, except you create said post within the activity feed of an Xbox club. While it’s not always ideal, it is still a potential source of recruitment. Remember to ask club administrators for permission, as some clubs do not like having their members ‘poached’ by other communities. Alternatively, you can join a club, wait for members to post their own LFG posts within the club and then message them.
Media
While being the least common of methods, media sources such as Reddit, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube can bring in recruits through varied means. Most people will not see a major turnout from this method, but between the varied internet forums and media sections, it is still possible to gain recruits.
Recruitment
Now that you know where to look, you have to know how to recruit. Everyone has their own style of recruiting and their own method of delivery. I can’t tell you how to find your ‘zone’ of when you deliver your recruiting talk, but I can give you some of the points to hit while recruiting, as well as a few ideas that may help you along the way!
Points to Cover
During the course of recruiting, there are a lot of things to cover. The point is to cover as much of the important information without actually boring and/or overwhelming the potential recruit with too much information at once. As such, the best method is to confirm the following steps during the process:
1. Make sure the recruit is as least 14 years old. There is a policy that 13 year olds who are near (within 4-5 months) of their 14th birthday may be recruited, but such members will be placed on a 1-strike policy until they are 14.
2. Inform the potential recruit of the Code of Conduct. The full Code may take some time to get through, so it’s best to hit the following high points:
A) Racism towards members or racist comments will not be tolerated.
B) Sexual harassment of members will not be tolerated.
C) Hacking the game or other members will not be tolerated.
D) Remember that the point is to have fun!
3. Make sure the recruits add the squad tag (GRM Jedi 14) to their friend list. Let them know that the reason we have them do this is because we hold squad events Monday through Friday from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM Eastern Time and they will be notified who is hosting by the squad tag. Also inform the recruits that the ‘GRM’ name change is NOT required to become part of the community; only encouraged.
4. Make sure they have their location and bio set up properly. This can take a bit of time if they aren’t using the Xbox app and it is always good to suggest people download it if they can. Explain to the recruit that the reason for the bio and location tag is because it is the ‘squad uniform’ which lets other players know which squad they belong to. In this case, the correct format is:
For ‘location’: Galactic Order, grmgaming.net
For ‘bio’:
GRM Jedi 14th Armored Corps
PVT
Recruited by: (name of recruiter)
Recruited on: (date)
5. If possible, encourage the recruit to sign up on the website, grmgaming.net. Inform them that this will allow them greater access to other gamers to expand their friend list and, furthermore, will gain them a rank up to Corporal (CPL). Let them know that it may take a day or two for the site administrators to fully approve them, but that signing up will get them the rank immediately.
6. Inform the recruit that there is a squad Discord available if they wish to download it. Discord is available both on PC or phone and is a handy way to keep in contact with the squad members, stay informed and be aware of promotions, events or generalized talk.
7. Ask the recruit if they are interested in ranking up within GRM. If they say yes, either message an officer to come and assist with speaking to them or if you are comfortable explaining the process, explain it to them yourself.
Styles of Recruiting
There are any number of ways to make your ‘sales pitch’ as I call it to a potential recruit. Part of this is your ‘tone of voice.’ Nobody wants to hear about GRM being explained from someone who sounds bored or uninterested. Keep your tone light and friendly, sound excited! This is a new member we may be gaining in the community! I find it best when inviting a potential recruit to the party not to immediately ask, “Do you want to join GRM?” Instead, I take the time to ask them how they are, how their day is going; perhaps make a bit of small talk. Eventually I get to the point where I can say, “So I saw you were interested in joining GRM. May I tell you about it?” Usually by now, the person tells me ‘yes.’ I make sure to cover the above points, but I also speak a little about GRM’s history and the fact that we are an officially sponsored community (Microsoft, Ebay and Razer). I touch on the Code of Conduct and then ask them if it sounds like the sort of community they are interested in joining.
Most people will end up saying ‘yes’ at this point. Others will want to wait and game with you and some of the other members to see how the community plays together. Some will express reservations about making event times, or fully committing to the community. This is okay! We are willing to work with people on whatever their issues may be to bring them around to the point where they are willing to join the community! Don’t forget that if you can’t answer the question yourself, there is always a Sergeant, Trained Sergeant or officer who can help out!
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